Want to reminisce about some of the big events that happened 75 years ago? Let’s take a trip down memory lane to 1947.
In politics, President Harry Truman signed the National Security Act of into law, creating the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the National Security Council.
In sports, Jackie Robinson, playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers, became the first African American to play major league baseball.
Under the category of arts and entertainment, the popular films were “Pinocchio” and “Fantasia,” while the late Bing Crosby rose to fame with the song “White Christmas.”
In consumer news, gas was 15 cents a gallon, a new home in September of that year was about $6,600 with an interest rate around 2%. And a loaf of bread was 13 cents.
And in the category of love, Jean and Marion Hess Sr. said “yes” to one another 75 years ago on their wedding day — Sept. 20, 1947.
Three children, three grandchildren and four great grandchildren later, the Metairie couple, with their Katrina rescue dog, Lucki, at their side, recently looked back on their decadeslong marriage.
That first date
“I played third base in high school at Warren Easton so we went to a Pelicans baseball game for our first date,” said Marion Hess, 95, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Germany in the Battle of the Bulge under Gen. George Patton in World War II. “I thought Jean was pretty and a nice person. I just wanted to spend time with her.”
“Yes, our first date was a baseball game,” recalled Jean Hess, 93. “I didn’t really know much about baseball but Marion explained things to me. I just enjoyed being with him.”
After dating for a year or so, Marion Hess proposed to his future wife on the front porch of her New Orleans home.
“When he proposed I thought ‘Well it’s about time,’ ” Jean Hess laughed. “From the start, I always thought Marion was such a kind man with a great laugh and smile. He would do anything to help anyone.”
When they married, Jean Hess was 18 and Marion Hess Sr. was 20. After that came three children — Deanna Hess Harvey, Marion Hess Jr. and Melissa Hess.
'Grew up together'
“When Mom and Dad had me, they were so young,” Harvey said. “They have always been very open and frank with me about everything and maybe that’s because I am the oldest. And I guess in some ways, we kind of grew up together.”
The family lived for many years near Bayou St. John and City Park in New Orleans. Harvey called their home “base camp.”
“There are so many wonderful memories growing up in that neighborhood and in that house,” Harvey recalled. “My siblings and I are close to our parents who always made sure when we were growing up that we went to good schools, spent time outside playing and had family dinners every night. That home was our ‘base camp.’ ”
Marion Hess Jr. is the middle child and the only son. He said over the years, his parents gave him advice on many things, but one piece of advice stands out.
“My mom and dad always told me to me to be true and honest with everyone,” he said. “That is how my parents have lived their lives. They are really soul mates and my sisters and I are so fortunate to have had them for all these many years.”
Independent streaks
The Hess’ youngest child, Melissa Hess, said her parents “were very independent.”
“If my dad wanted to go fishing or hunting, my mother was happy for him to go,” she said. “And if my mother wanted to go shopping or take a vacation, Dad was fine with it, too. They were very independent.
“The very few times my parents argued, they never raised their voices and never held a grudge. They would quickly get over whatever the disagreement was about. They are truly each other's best friend.”
Jean Hess worked in the bookstores at both the University of New Orleans and Delgado Community College. She also worked as a dental assistant at the LSU Dental School.
“Mom enjoyed going to work and I feel she reinvented herself after being a stay at home mother most of her life,” Harvey said. “At the dental school, she was always a student advocate, being there as their biggest cheerleader with encouragement and their needs as dental students.” Marion Hess retired from the sheet metal division at Avondale Shipyards after 40 years.
Simple advice
The couple works hard to take care of their health. They take 50 vitamins a day.
“It’s all about prevention,” Melissa Hess said. “You have to start many years ahead of time to prevent things like dementia, cancers and heart disease.”
For those preparing for marriage and for those already married, the Hess’ have some simple advice.
“Don’t go to bed mad,” Jean Hess said. “And always show love and patience.”
“Keep the Lord above in command and raise your children well,” Marion Hess said. “And just be nice.”